Admissions Open
Admissions Open
Objective: To assess and compare the knowledge, attitude and practise of pharmacists on oral healthcare and oral hygiene products in urban and rural areas of Bengaluru city.Methods: This comparative study was carried out among pharmacists by using self administered,closed-ended questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and Chi- square tests were used for the dataanalysis. Statistical analysis were done using SPSS version 20.Results: A total of 310 pharmacists were included from urban and rural areas of Bengaluru city (155from each location). Only 29.7% of the pharmacies in the rural areas had a nearby dental clinic ascompared to urban (78.7%), (p<0.001). Stock of oral health care products ≤10% in urban and ruralareas was 36.8% and 94.8% respectively. Toothpaste was most common among the oral healthcareproducts stocked in both the areas. Toothache was the most common problem seen in both the areas.Conclusion: Overall the knowledge, attitude and practise were higher among pharmacists in urban areas as compare to rural areas. However, pharmacists in both the areas are presently an underutilizedresource, and there is a definitive need to improve their training and access to information on available dental services.